Jobs Passes Away

Apple creator, Steve Jobs has passed away as a result of his long time battle with pancreatic cancer. Steve worked long hours exposed to the electormagnetic radiation (EM) of computer screens. The following article, explores a link between pancreatic cancer and a potential EM cause.

An NIH paper, “Extremely Low Frequency, Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer the Epidemiological Evidence”, by Michael Bates (see URL 1, below) explains that telecommunications workers are susceptible to all types of cancers. Electrical workers are at risk for pancreatic cancer. Since computer technology involves the use of electronic components, one might safely say that Jobs’ exposures may possibly have put him at risk for this cancer.

Mr. Bates states:

“This paper reviews the epidemiologic evidence that low frequency electromagnetic fields generated by altating current may be a cause of cancer. Studies examining residential exposures of . . . electrical and electronics workers are reviewed. Using conventional epidemiologic criteria for inferring causal associations, including strength and consistency of the relationship, biological plausibility, and the possibility of bias as an explanation, it is concluded that the evidence is strongly suggestive that such radiation is carcinogenic. The evidence is strongest for brain and central nervous system cancers in electrical workers and children. . . . Failure to find consistent evidence of a link between residential exposures and adult cancers may be attributable to exposure misclassification. Studies so far have used imperfect surrogates for any true biologically effective magnetic field exposure. The resulting exposure misclassification has produced relative risk estimates that understate any true risk.. . .

In a PMR study of men who had been employed in occupations with presumed electrical exposure in Washington State, Milham (45) found significantly elevated risks for a number of cancers including cancers of the pancreas, respiratory tract and brain, as well as lymphomas and leukemias (particularly acute leukemias). (Tables 2 and 4 in the document).”. . .

And, in support of these points, an article, “Nonionizing Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer: A Review” authors Joseph R. Salvatore, MD, Alan B. Weitberg, MD, and Shashikant Mehta, PhD (Brown University Medical School) finds that recent studies: “suggests that nonionizing electric and magnetic fields associated with this radiation may be an environmental etiology in human disease. Human beings are affected not only by natural background nonionizing electromagnetic fields produced by the Earth, but also by a host of manmade sources. Of the diseases believed related to these fields, cancer and participation of these fields in the carcinogenic process have received considerable attention. This paper is a review of the basic science that points to this possible association. [ONCOLOGY 10(4):563-578, 1996].” (See URL 2, below).

The authors further state: “There is a deceiving quietness about these fields compared with known carcinogenic agents like chemicals, which are generally easier to detect and more amenable to experimentation. Dose-response studies of chemical and physical carcinogens usually show a linear dose response, a characteristic that may not be true of electromagnetic fields. Some studies have suggested distinctive frequency zones of effect instead of linearity [1]. (See URL 2.)

They explain, “it is believed that the possible involvement in the carcinogenic process by electromagnetic fields is in the nonthermal mode.

Here, they have made a connection to the thermal, heat potential in causing cancer that exposures to EM can produce.

In the Oxford paper, “Magnetic Field Exposure in Relation to Leukemia and Brain Cancer Mortality among Electric Utility Workers Am. J. Epidemiol. (1995) 141(2): 123-134”, EM being causal in cancers, including pancreatic is considered as a possibility. (See URL 3.). They state: “ Total mortality and cancer mortality rose slightly with increasing magnetic field exposure . . .” (URL 3.)

And Gates concludes that due to imprecise measurement capbilities in studies, “if a causal relationship between ELF fields and cancer is eventually confirmed, the true relative risks will almost certainly turn out to be appreciably higher than those listed above.”

It would seem that scientific evidence is mounting that overexposures, long term exposures to EM and ELF fields may indeed be causal for many cancers, including pancreatic.

This article is also in memory of our friend, member and long time worker on our issues, Dr. Eldon Byrd, who passed away in 2003, (at much too young an age), having succumbed to liver cancer. And is in support of our many survivors of so many EM related illnesses. Please keep surviving.